Serena’s Opening—and the Players Built for Wimbledon

Serena Williams has received a Wimbledon draw that gives her a credible competitive opportunity. Maya Joint is a manageable opening matchup, Alexandra Eala would present a playable second round, and instability around Iga Świątek could remove the section’s highest-ranked obstacle. Grass also favors Serena’s serve, return and immediate weight of shot more than a slower surface would.

But a favorable bracket is not the same as an easy tournament. Serena’s ceiling will depend on whether her movement, recovery and match tolerance survive the accumulated demands of consecutive rounds.

The episode also examines why Novak Djokovic remains structurally suited to Wimbledon, how repeated resistance could wear down Jannik Sinner and why Alexander Zverev may be the tournament’s second-strongest title candidate. On the women’s side, the hosts disagree over Aryna Sabalenka’s difficult quarter and identify Belinda Bencic as a disciplined tactical threat to Coco Gauff.

Transcript

Alvin Owusu (00:05.993)
And welcome to another episode of the Best of Three Podcasts. I'm Alvin, that's Tori. And it is it's draw day. It is Wimbledon draw day. The draw came out this morning, TH. I got up really early. I was high levels of anticipation, mostly for where it is Miss Serena Williams land, and we'll get there, I promise. but yeah, I'm I'm super pumped, ready to get back back home in a couple days here to enjoy this tournament along with you. but before we get started, first and foremost.

Torrey (00:24.394)
Right.

Alvin Owusu (00:35.725)
How you doing?

Torrey (00:36.573)
I'm good, man. I'm good. It's good stuff, man. This whole who I tell you, Alvin, this thing here looks absolut this draw looks packed. I mean, I they we we keep talking about players missing the tournament through injuries and whatnot. And I think I've said it you know, I said almost a year ago about just the volume of the tournament and whatnot. But looking at the draw, man, I don't know where you'd fit the other nine players. You know what I mean? I mean it's just the the whole thing is just

Again, we talked about it at the end of last tournament, just how strong and how deep the field is and and there's some bangers, Alvin. There are some bangers on this on this sheet of paper, buddy. I mean, this is th this is the don't sleep tour all day right here.

Alvin Owusu (01:20.705)
It is. And you know, before we before we hit the record button, we were we were kinda going back and forth and kind of taking our first pass through this draw and it's it's tricky and I'll I wanna go back a little bit to about what you said, with the players not being here. I have in the last few weeks found myself just kind of randomly thinking, like, yeah, Carlos Alcaraz exists and he's just not here and that makes me a little sad. Like I miss I miss having Carlos around. I miss having Lorenzo around.

Torrey (01:44.808)
Yeah, sure.

Alvin Owusu (01:49.282)
And then when we start playing tennis, it's like, we still got really good tennis players here. And, you know, we lost center early in the French Open, but the French Open was a great story. It was a i it was a it was a movie, as they would say. I think it was great for tennis fans. So you know, with with that kind of lens, we're gonna we're gonna try to attack this draw a little bit differently than we normally do. We're not gonna spend as much time on the individual matchups, and we're gonna kind of look at each quarter at a macro, because I think you and I, while we have some assumptions about

Torrey (02:00.564)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (02:18.847)
we're probably in line on what we think's gonna happen. I think there are some spots in the specifically in this menstrual that are we probably differ on. So let's let's let's get into it. I think we we're both pretty pretty confident with penciling Mr Mr Center to move forward to the to the to the quarter finals here. He's there's a heat wave going on right now. There is. and apparently he's been he's been practicing in it. Whatever, whatever.

Torrey (02:39.015)
But there is a heat wave going through Europe, so

Torrey (02:46.415)
I love it.

Alvin Owusu (02:48.097)
But the interesting thing about about Yannick, every time we look at a draw, like obviously you're gonna you expect him not only usually expect him to win the tournament, not just make the quarterfinals, but he has some he has some legitimate players in front of him, like with Kesimanovich, like Kesmanovich is no is no walkover. we move forward a little bit further. We've got, you know, Hodar is you know, he's floating in that section as well. I mean even down to

Torrey (03:07.868)
Well.

Alvin Owusu (03:17.411)
Casper versus versus Hercot. But like real realistically do you see any any or l let's put it this way, realistically, what is the earliest level of resistance you expect to see from for Mr. Sinner?

Torrey (03:19.792)
Yeah, Hubie. Yeah.

Torrey (03:33.505)
I personally think this could be a, and this is gonna sound weird for me. I think center is going to get resistance every round. And let me tell you why I say that. Number one, I think the Juan Martin Sorundolo match has shown everyone, push the guy deep. You just don't know. He may. Dot, dot, dot. And I think because of it not being Francisco, it was the younger.

Lefty brother, who's who's not quite as high, at least not at the time. that just gives everyone a little bit of extra you know, will and and motivation. Do I think that he will prevail? I do. Do I think he will get through and potentially win the thing? I do. I just feel that he will have resistance all the way through because of that, what just happened. do I see that? Am I looking forward to a possible you know, Rafael.

Yodar, I do. I'm looking forward to that one. on the same end of that. You know, you got guys, I'm really looking forward to that. Daniel Medvedev, Moran Chilich match. I think both those guys can be dangerous on the grass. and not to mention, you know, Tommy Paul, who's a phenomenal returner and fast, and you know, he's the American version of Demonor in that in in that sense of things. And so both those guys will be dangerous and they're both fast like Yannick is, and so both return pretty well. So I just feel like there's a lot of there's a lot of meat in this.

top half of the quarter. And and I'll be honest, Alvin, I I stand by that. I I really feel like a lot of players just kind of while they fear, not fear, while they respect heavily his level, I just feel like they all know, they all know what we've kind of been alluding to off and on with there's always that asterisk in there somewhere about with him somewhere in the tournament. And if you see, if you if you kind of

Alvin Owusu (05:13.592)
Right.

Torrey (05:29.506)
Pick what I'm putting down, Alvin, for the last three of the last five or four of the last six, there's always been that weird tr kind of tricky match in there, right? It happened here last year with Dimitrov, you know, where he's where he's fine. Now, mind you, he's always rebounded most of the time, rebounded, but the French should have put a stamp on that and said that was a that was a blip. And the French actually made that chasm be a thing with

Alvin Owusu (05:37.497)
Mm.

Torrey (05:55.49)
Being with two sets up and and a couple of breaks, and then he went down, didn't win, didn't win, didn't win another game, if not mistaken, or only won three games at the end of the game. Right. So right. So I say that to say I think everyone will push him with the thought in mind of that could be me. If I can just push him, if I can just push him and and withstand, we are three out of five. And while the conditions aren't maybe as hot as Paris was.

Alvin Owusu (06:01.818)
Yeah, two more games in the next five three, two sets, yeah. Yeah.

Torrey (06:22.901)
I that's why I'm I think that he's he's in for a tougher route than most. He he can't win off of sheer ranking and and just phenomenal ball striking because of what has transpired.

Alvin Owusu (06:35.501)
Yeah, and I I like the way I mean for for him I feel like I'm I'm with you like I meant it mentioned earlier, Kasmanovich, f fantastic professional player, right? Like e each one of these matches, so you have Kesmanovich and then likely Nunio Borges after that and then maybe Ignacio Butha Busikin is is going to you know, he's a young player but already getting into the seated a at a slam here. That's that's fantastic. But he's progressively working himself in the tournament. So if we get into the second week and he starts

you know, running into the the rest of the the potentials on the bottom half of this quarter. I think he will be prepared, ready to go. Because granted he hasn't played a match since since the French open, right? So there's I don't I don't think he's rusty by any means, but there is some you always want to, you know, get the machine rolling as we start a Grand Slam. that bottom half of this quarter has not only a a a few fantastic first round matches, Casper versus Herkatch,

Torrey (07:15.456)
Right. Right.

Alvin Owusu (07:34.679)
You've also got I mean Hell even Struff versus Baez, maybe not on the surface, but that Chilich Medvedev match, right? You've got two former Grand Slam champions, both quite good on fast surfaces, have both historically tall, done well, big serves. That's gonna be a big one to watch right there. And I think honestly, if either one of those players, their best chance of beating Yannick Sinner in a Grand Slam is likely here. the last two players Sinners lost to at Wimbledon, Novet Djokovic, Daniel Medvedev. So

Torrey (07:46.453)
Quite tall, big serves, big groundies. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (08:04.49)
not obviously not in succession, but that is that's that is a I'm not gonna say it's a bad draw for centers. He doesn't really get bad draws, but this is probably the worst possible draw of having to go through two players, we'll get to Novak in the next section, in succession, potentially that had beaten him before in order to get to the the final of this event. but we don't have to

Torrey (08:19.422)
Right. Right.

Torrey (08:28.915)
And and and what if he faces those guys after a couple of four or five set ventures? You know, that's I guess that's what I'm saying, you know, and that's and that's just, you know, to me when I look at, you know, you've now got the death of a thousand cuts. It's you know, the the accumulation, the accrual of all of that leading up to that. Right. And and mind you, you know, Daniel is not is obviously, you know, he's to your window. He's he's on that fading side, and you know, we know Miranda's on the other side of that. So he's

Alvin Owusu (08:45.507)
Sure, sure.

Torrey (08:58.586)
certainly not a spring chicken. So I feel like, you know, both of these players, Father Time being what it is, you would like to think that they would be they're they're gonna take it out of each other as well, right? In in the first match. And but whoever is left standing, when the dust settles, that player goes into you know the next, you know, though that round three, almost round four, you know, with with just enough legs, just enough, you know, rest.

Alvin Owusu (09:12.162)
Right.

Torrey (09:26.013)
to be sharp and to to head into this thing. And that's where I'm saying that's where that matchup, if if everything goes to plan, that's where that matchup can be a little bit dicey. You know what I mean? Daniel knows he can beat Yannick. Chilich can beat anybody on his best deck. I mean they So and that's it and though and those are things where again, and we're not even talking about the Dardaris and Ethan Quinn's and the Herbys and the and and the Casparos. I mean we got some legitimate, legitimate ball players, Tommy Paul.

Alvin Owusu (09:41.805)
On his best day. Yeah, sure. Especially here. Especially here.

Torrey (09:54.631)
You know what I mean, in in the in the mix. I mean, y you got a lot of there's a this, as I say, Alvin, I don't who would you bump out if you added the other nine players? You know what I mean?

Alvin Owusu (10:01.572)
See, I'll right, I'll let I'll push back on the Tommy Paul of it because Tommy is like obviously all everything you said about Tommy makes a lot of sense. But I think Tommy is less impactful against Yannick here because because we're talking about very, very similar traits, and but center is better at all of them than he is. the other players that can hurt him on this surface, big servers, right? Like that's that you're gonna have to serve your way through him.

Torrey (10:15.324)
On.

Alvin Owusu (10:30.799)
you're not gonna be able to play on the baseline and grind your way through It's not especially not here. that's why I think and then we and then we have the the the we don't know's, right? Raphael Hodar, it's his first, you know, tour level grass court event is Wimbledon. He played junior Wimbledon, did I think he missed maybe reached quarterfinals, he played an ITF, that would have been Roehampton, right? I believe he won that. So he has had some success on the surface in juniors, but not at this level.

Torrey (10:32.997)
Yeah, grind. Right, right, hundred percent.

Torrey (10:46.567)
Yep. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (11:00.579)
But we have a lot of youth here as well, like Buse, Hodar, let's not overlook Landaluce, right? even Mehedovich, right? I they're all also looking to make their make their mark here. and I think that this the same thing continues as we go down the draw to the next quarter. it's I feel like the top half is just kind of like this seems to be where the action is right now, along that same the same lines with the youth movement. Like you have Fonseca.

Torrey (11:25.68)
Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (11:29.549)
sitting here at the bottom of this quarter looking for a potential rematch with with Novak. But as we zoom out, right, we've got Felix as the top seed in this quarter. I could I could I could yeah, I could see him making the he could make the quarters here. This his section the top half of this quarter, fine. Yeah, that's doable.

Torrey (11:57.986)
If if he if he's playing well, that's all I'm gonna say. If he he better be serving and returning like the new Felix and not like the old Felix. And and I'm gonna say the same because and here's why. You got you got some up and comers like Dino Prismich in that mix. You all you always, you always, you never, you never can count out Cam Norrie, who is who is from the surface, right? We gotta keep minding he loves that shovel backhand. You know, we can't say enough about learner 10.

Alvin Owusu (12:13.673)
Luca Van Ash. yeah, Luca yeah.

Alvin Owusu (12:19.385)
That's true.

Torrey (12:27.755)
and then of course as you start getting down on on the other side, you know, Novak you would you gotta think with Novak's return game and it's served being pretty and he just he just played it so many darn times. He knows how to get through even the big servers like Render C Ring Render Kinesh and others and you know and he just knows what he's doing. I I you know, I I just I I'm with you. I I just I there's more question marks for me for Felix on the top half of this than there are to me for Novak on the bottom half of this one.

Personally.

Alvin Owusu (12:57.603)
This is a really good sec I mean, I think Novak actually got a fantastic draw because while he while his ranking has dropped based on his his finish at French Open, he still effectively commands this quarter, right? Like you could flip flop he and no he and Felix's seed and it doesn't really matter. Like they're this is a this is a good spot for him. and to your point about knowing what you're doing, I think that's obvious, but that is the I think that's the quintessential that's the kicker about Wimbledon, right?

Torrey (13:01.54)
I do too.

Torrey (13:15.799)
Right.

Hundred percent.

Alvin Owusu (13:27.307)
It takes generally takes some players some time to be able to get used to playing on grass. One. And then two, even if you get used to it, not that many players are good at it. I think that along with the short

Torrey (13:39.34)
Right.

And and and before you go that, and you had to have this skill. This is not a skill you necessarily develop. In other words, if you're a big server with okay returns, you're not gonna get phenomenal at returning in three weeks. You know what I mean? If you are a counter punisher, you know, counter puncher who loves to to be on the run, you're not gonna get a big serve over three weeks. You know what I mean? You're not gonna get transition and slice. Everybody has these guys are all darn good. To your point.

Alvin Owusu (13:57.602)
Right, right, right.

Torrey (14:11.744)
You had to have a little bit of that coming in or have developed it over your career. Novak has added big serve, big forehand, and transition over the years plural into his game. And therefore, that's what you see now was a compl is a totally complete player, albeit on the older side. So that's my point about him. When I look at guys that can do a few things that are pretty nice, they just don't do it all. You know, and

Alvin Owusu (14:14.232)
Right.

Torrey (14:39.711)
Novak unfortunately does it all. And I think that's why I say you're exactly right. You can flip three and seven here, and he really is in a good spot where eight or six may not have such the same draw. He's literally in the sweet spot, you know, of where he could have landed, in my opinion, to get through relatively, again, according to plan, relatively unscathed.

Alvin Owusu (15:01.773)
Yeah, I I I'm I'm I don't want to necessarily say I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I do feel I feel like that potential second round matchup between Prismich and Felix is a that's a hot one. That's a hot one. I I'm I'm bullish. I'm quite bullish on Dino Prim Prismich.

Torrey (15:15.009)
Okay.

I don't I don't like that with I don't yeah. Yeah, I I am too. I I'm just saying I just I don't like that for Felix. I mean Felix will have to play some ball to get through Dino and again, assuming that the things go to go to plan, you know, Ad Adam Alton is a big server from from the from down under. But, you know, and and the same thing with with Cam. I mean, Cam could Cam just knows how to play on the surface. He's left handed, he's got that funky forehand, he's got great volleys around the net. He knows how to shovel that back in and keep the ball low. And in the first week, Alvin, as you know.

The ball skids a little more. It's slick. You know what mean? Get get to second week and this becomes striker's paradise a little bit more because you can get your footing. Early on, it's it favors the guy that can that can hit spots on serves, come in, block the volley away, be smart, not not get hurt, right? Not not go for the anything too crazy. Guys that can slide a little bit, can start to slide a little bit on on on on stuff without getting too too you know too too crazy. But as I say, I just don't see I I see this being more of a

Alvin Owusu (15:49.677)
Yep. Grass thicker. Yep.

Torrey (16:17.565)
I I see this quarter being a lot there's a lot of guys here that I can when I look at their at their player type, I see big hitter, big striker, they could be dangerous, but right? I see good mover, good counter, but and and I and I see almost each person being that way. You know what I mean? And I'm and then I'm and then I kinda look in a again with the notable, you know, I I can do I can do a bit of both. Just don't sleep on me. And your, you know, and your

Botox, how do I say my man's first? I'll always butch my name. Vander Van Der Zen's flute. Botic, you got Botic, Arthur, Brendan Kinesh, you of course you got Yao and Lerner. I mean, I'm just saying and and and hey, we can't knock out we can't knock out the savvy, hard hitting Russian. You know what I mean? Andre is right there in you know, kind of right in the middle who would who would pace if things go to play on Novak. So I'm a little less bullish on on Stefanos.

Alvin Owusu (16:49.306)
Batek Van der Zanslop

Alvin Owusu (17:10.915)
Well, I mean, even before that you've got you would have a potential matchup of of Yao versus of Rublev, and that would be like I think one of the interesting things about with with Fonseca and even learner TN, right? Like younger guys starting to show up seated in these Grand Slams, okay, it's a little bit different this time around because now they're seated, now they're kind of the hunted. How does their grass court game hold up with expectations?

Torrey (17:15.76)
of yeah,

Alvin Owusu (17:37.974)
a a different wrinkle than you know last year when they were both playing this event for the first time. So did learn no learner that would have been his second time last year I believe. No, no, first time. First time. regardless. I I I think we so I think we're both in agreement that bottom half here, Novak, top half it question mark hell it I mean Cam makes a lot of sense here. Like Cam Cam makes a lot of sense.

Torrey (17:40.261)
Right. Yeah.

Torrey (17:58.151)
Question mark.

Torrey (18:03.069)
Cam, I'm just saying Cam Cam just I I could and and especially if Prismich does does some opens up the draw with Felix, I could s Cam would be yeah, players just it's it just happens. You end up getting that big win, and it just seems like the next round you just may not have you're such an emotional high, and then and of course an emotional down, you know, a trough. That after that, if Dina were to take down Felix, Cam would be the

worst person to play the the the next round at he's a tough person but anyway on the grass and then you have that on the back end of a potential big win. I I'm just saying. And and I don't and if Felix gets through, I don't know if I like that matchup with him. It just puts a lot of pressure on Felix to do a lot of things that he hasn't shown heretofore. You know? So

Alvin Owusu (18:49.933)
And I mean, even before that you could have Cam versus Learner TN and I I'm not even that at that point you kind of like, because they're both left handed, I don't even know I I I think that starts to negate some of Cam's advantages that he has on grass, specifically because that shovel backhand is going into another backhand that is pretty rock solid as well. yeah, that's a it's

Torrey (18:57.924)
Exactly.

Torrey (19:04.118)
Right. Right.

Torrey (19:15.002)
Right. And it moves well. To me, the longer that the the the more firm the court, the more it aids the more it aids learner, the slicker the court, the more it aids Cam, right? So to me it's about which court they play on and how early. You know what I mean? If if that match goes into next week, learner all day. If that match is the first four or five days and there's still a lot of grass on the grass court, Cam

Alvin Owusu (19:29.857)
Right.

Torrey (19:41.701)
Cam will find grass.

Alvin Owusu (19:44.492)
Yeah. I'm actually mi I'm actually misreading this one. So Cam would go Cam goes up to Felix and he wouldn't he would play learner in the in the quarterfinals there. So or yeah, one, two, three, four. Yeah, yeah. So that's that would be that to your point about how different the surface actually is between week one and week two, or day day one and day eight. That's a big one because that match looks different if it was played in the first round versus being played in the fourth round.

Torrey (19:50.265)
Right. That's what I was thinking.

Torrey (20:05.497)
Yeah. Yep.

The the court itself, you know, and and you gotta think you gotta think they'd give they'd give G B R a a little bit of home court advantage on center court too. So, you know, those are the kind of things you look at.

Alvin Owusu (20:19.607)
Yep. Alright, let's keep let's keep popping down here. we've got this would be effectively the Ben Shelton quarter, Ben on the bottom, Demonor on the top. I think the I think the action here is is down at the bottom. It's I mean there's a obviously there are a lot of good players in all the sections, right? But we have a former we don't know his we don't know his health right now, but former Wilmot and final is in Mateo Beratini. We've got making his return, Arctor Fees.

Torrey (20:27.31)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (20:48.855)
Obviously we have been anchoring the quarter.

Torrey (20:51.162)
Always a big, always a big hitting, big lefty server who can who can get hot. Ironically playing another big server with Zizu, you what I So there's a lot of I'm with you. even Arthur Ferry from Great Britain has as I think he had a big had a big quality week or or what of those tune-ups. He he did well in a in in a in one of the matches in one terms last week. It's it's a very to your point, a very, very solid lot of players in this bottom half.

Alvin Owusu (20:57.921)
It will come forward.

Torrey (21:20.568)
We can't you can't rule out the up two sets to love before his arm gave out former top five and Grigore who's here who who's in here with a wild card. you we haven't seen him play in about a year. So Right, so just saying we you you can't you can't rule the you can't rule the you know, one of the best ones out there. Can't rule him out. Look forward to seeing him back on back in action. It was here a year ago. then he had your boy dead to rights. Had him dead to rights, you know, so

Alvin Owusu (21:29.633)
I he he had a decent week too. He had a decent week last week, or this week sh I should say.

Torrey (21:49.45)
we'll see again.

Alvin Owusu (21:50.362)
I actually I I like I I like I'm looking at Jakob Menzic here and I like what I've seen from him in the last let's see three months. He's playing some good ball. and I feel like what he does well just looks a little bit better on grass than it even does on clay. ca I mean if he if he if he has a good serving week, which you know he does, it's not infrequent that he does.

Torrey (21:58.062)
Yeah. Playing playing some good ball right now.

Alvin Owusu (22:19.755)
He's a better returner than Ben. Like Ben Ben's returns will will at this point hold him back, I think, on the surface.

Torrey (22:26.004)
Right. Right. I agree with that. And and to your point, I feel Ben at a four has a little bit of a worse draw than D Minor has as a five. You know what I mean? I mean it's just it's just every with everybody being where they are, man. I mean we and we we can't we're not even really giving, you know, Stan the man any love in this particular part of his career. But he's a two time Grand Slam champion who's in here as a you know, who's who's in here just as a wild card. So I say it to say

Alvin Owusu (22:35.233)
yeah, yeah.

Torrey (22:55.658)
The four C did not get the love, in my opinion, of the five. Mind you, they're only a spot apart. But if you if you had to give me, you know, if you had to give me Manorino as but as a possible second round, you know what I mean, versus, you know, versus Zhou Zrumhir or or or Arthur Ferry, you know, or if you had to give me Kashinov versus Umbe Fees, you know what I mean, I'd probably take I'd probably take the fives track a whole lot more.

Alvin Owusu (23:23.254)
Yeah.

Torrey (23:23.773)
You know, then then I would take the forest track. But hey, Ben's gonna Ben's gotta go through this. And I feel like especially with his fellow countrymen, I know we'll get to it in second, you know, running into a bit of a tough first round. He is gonna be carrying the the banner for for the US title hopes. Certainly certainly one, if not the second of of of all the American options. So you know, you you've gotta you've gotta be able to carry that banner and and and and and and take it strong, you know what I mean?

Alvin Owusu (23:52.324)
Well let me let me ask you this, like as I'm as I'm looking at the draw here. I I feel very I I have a feeling about who I think's gonna make this quarter, like if I were to write it down. I'm gonna I'm gonna say Jakob Menchik on the bottom and I'm gonna say Flavio Caballi on the top. Flavio, good mover, or great mover I should say, great returner, has done well here before.

Torrey (24:05.65)
Mm.

Torrey (24:10.164)
Okay.

Torrey (24:15.646)
Great mover, sure. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (24:21.527)
that coming coming into this event with, you know, all the, you know, feeling good about his tennis coming off of a French open final. I I just I would. I would. Demon R's not actually that good on grass. I I mean generally Demon Art only does well on hardcourts like he doesn't really do well anywhere else, but he consistently does well in hardcourt. So yeah, I just don't see I don't see that for Demon.

Torrey (24:30.74)
But you take Flavio over Demon R? Wow.

Alvin Owusu (24:48.233)
mean, hell I think Ma Adrian Manarino is a h would be a horrible second round matchup. yeah, I I I do like Flavio over over Di Manora. Were we to get that matchup?

Torrey (24:52.403)
Right.

Torrey (25:00.155)
I I would love seeing I would me personally, just because I love Arthur Feast, I would love seeing Feast to sneak through here and and do some damage. And I would love to see there's a lot of ifs here. A healthier ish Beratini take out Jakob. And I would love to see Hombear having a knockdown drag out with Ben and the winner of that getting through this getting through the squirrel. That's me. I I just but I'm but I'm I'm betting more with my heart than my head here. I just

I just have I would love to see I would love to see Arthur do well here on the grass to for his own career and his own confidence sake. Again, I'm talking more with my with my heart than my head here, but that's where I'm at with it. I I agree with you. You know I love Ben. I love love love the dad, known known the family for a long time. I just if Ben were to continue to come to work on getting his returns, not just better, but

more consistently able to break. I feel he's still relying so much on that servant. Heck, how how do you not? but just I just would love to see his his break percentage to be up at at at least forty to fifty percent, for as good as his serve is and take some pressure off that servant. I feel like just right now he's he's just not there yet and and I feel like that's gonna be he he's he puts himself in the in the bit of a trick bag and and

in terms like this. And I feel like that's one of the things holding it back even on on the clay. So long story. I agree with you on on who could get through. Flavio, that eighty and eighty one, I I completely agree with you. Those two could end up being the two in this quarter for sure. And and with large probabilities, to be honest with you. and and to your point, five and four seed have a have a very, very tough road to hope.

Alvin Owusu (26:52.161)
Yeah, and I think I'm gonna go back to your your your sentiments about Arthur Fees. It's good to have him back. we haven't seen Arter since was it Miami? No, no, no, sorry, apologies, not Miami. he lost to center in the final of was it was it Rome, was it? He d wasn't that it's somewhere in Clickworth season. Forgive me, I can't remember what exactly which tournament it was, but not I mean, Raphael Calignon is not who you want to be playing in your first in your first match back. that's who beat that's who Bid lost to early in the French open.

Torrey (26:56.923)
For sure.

Torrey (27:10.148)
Yeah. Yeah.

Torrey (27:17.776)
Sure. Sure.

Alvin Owusu (27:21.547)
in straight sets. Was it straight sets? Might have been four, but Colin Yon is is he is definitely another one of those younger ones to watch. I believe he's maybe twenty one years old. So that's yeah that's no walk in the park. I would I would have l I would have hoped for a better draw for Archer coming back, but it's not a at this point it's not a grass court season. It's for him it's one grass court event and we can we can get on to the hard stuff. I think this is this is this is where

Torrey (27:21.892)
Yeah. Yep.

Torrey (27:44.644)
Yeah. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (27:50.264)
This is where things get interesting. a at the top and the bottom of this quarter. we'll get to the we'll get to the top, but at the bottom, Alexander's Virg opening up against Alexander Blocks is that's interesting. that's interesting.

Torrey (28:05.656)
Very interesting. They play a lot like they play a lot of like. I think Alexander Blocks is the new I've been high on this on this young man. Around the same time I was high on on Yodar and and Fonseca. I personally feel like he has still yet to really get out of the starting gate to the rest of the of his compatriots. You know, I say that next gen com group cohort. the brothers the brothers tall, big serve, big game.

He's he's similar size and and build to to Zverev. And I I like him. I like his game. I I like and I was very impressed with him when I saw him at the next game tournament last year. I I just feel like and grass I think can favor what he what his skill set is. this not a walk in the park, but at the same time Zverev did just win the French. So you got him. There's that.

Alvin Owusu (28:54.745)
I mean that's yeah that that part that part. and he he he he's good for like he's good for a two to three semifinals of Grand Slams for a year. I feel like with Zerev, he's either he's either going to make the final or he's going to lose the blocks. It's like I don't really see anything in the middle 'cause once he gets out of the starting gate, it's like okay, he's he's he's he's good. He's he's ready to roll.

Torrey (29:06.088)
per year.

Torrey (29:13.175)
Right.

And and he just returned so darn well and he's so rangy. I mean, if he again, and now that he's got the monkey off his back, I mean, you heard right here, Alvin. You heard right here. He is the he is the second best chance ahead of Novak. until the French, he was the third best chance. Now he's the second best chance to win the whole stinking tournament. I just it's just a tough first round for him, and that's right.

Alvin Owusu (29:44.918)
Yeah, I mean he's he's I don't think there's much resistance for him on the bottom half of the draw. That's my I that's that's kind of the the he's the second best chance because anyone that's anyone else that has a chance is on the top half of the draw. So he I like I literally I I honestly it's either going to be blocks that takes him out or I think he just starts to he has this track record of just building steam through Grand Slams. Yeah, so if he gets out of the starting blocks, like I mean, Lehechka

Torrey (30:08.855)
Yeah. He just he just does.

Torrey (30:15.095)
No.

Alvin Owusu (30:15.243)
In the in the in the in the in the quarterfinals, or sorry, round of sixteen, maybe. No.

Torrey (30:20.192)
Right. Maybe. Right. But to your point, not Arnaldi. Not not S not and I know Sorundalo's on the on the other side of it, but not Sarundalo, you know, they don't play that kind of game. They don't have that kind of you know I see Popperin a little more, you know, than than those in in terms of type of game. foe, again, great, great great competitor and and but you know, but I don't I just he didn't have the kind of game that can that can hurt the type of profile. And and Alba we have to we can't we can't forget some of his

Alvin Owusu (30:27.083)
Not enough. Not enough.

Torrey (30:50.083)
semifinals have been five setters against Carlos. They've been, you know, they've been l they've been tough nail biters against the guy that ended up winning the tournament and he lost from the semi. It wasn't like it was a it wasn't like a two, two and one, you know, going away, you know, kind of a matchup. So, you know, and now and now Sasha has actually got got the trophy in the case. I I you know I'm I'm also saying I could see him, I could legitimately see him

With confidence now, with confidence, beating a center in a head-to-head situation. I could see him beating a Novak in that situation because he's always been that close anyway. And he has the serve, and he's six six foot darn seven. You know what I mean? So that's what I'm trying to say. It's not that he's the second best chance. He's the second best chance because he's, you know, because center is a defending champ.

Alvin Owusu (31:33.643)
And he has a surf. Like that's it like on this surface, like Yeah.

Torrey (31:49.906)
Otherwise, he'd be the ch he'd be the champ. He'd be the number one chance. And as I say, going into this tournament, who's more consistent, you know, year in, year out? Alexander Sverrow.

Alvin Owusu (32:02.392)
Right. Yeah. let's go to the top half of this quarter. Fritz Draper is like the match of the of the of the first round, likely on the men's side. Both players have had some injuries in the last few months. Both have come back. Taylor came back I think at the French Open, lost early, has had a really good, a really, really strong grass court season. yeah, Jack came back I think two weeks ago.

Torrey (32:06.097)
What man?

Torrey (32:25.499)
As as he's as he's apt to do.

Alvin Owusu (32:31.193)
And I think he was still is he still playing right now? yeah, he l he plays today. He plays Eagle and Bear in like fifteen minutes, so in the semifinals of of Eastbourne. but he he has beaten this week, he's beaten Giron, he beat Diallo, he beat Pennington Jones, hasn't lost a set yet. he looks good, moving well. I mean he's former number four in the world, looking healthy, so

Torrey (32:51.622)
Right. Yeah.

Look looking healthy. Yeah, looking looking healthy. That's the biggest thing for him. And and and and and it's a tough it's a tough matchup, man. I mean I I know of I it it's a it's a terrible draw both and and I'm gonna say this, Alvin, I'm gonna say this in and I and in in all in all respect to both players. This to me could be a type of match where and I'm gonna say this for for kind of a obvious but kind of an an un understated reason.

Alvin Owusu (33:00.321)
We've got him back, it's nice.

Alvin Owusu (33:06.465)
That's a shit draw for both of them.

Torrey (33:25.084)
This could be a match where Jack takes down Taylor. And Taylor could start to slip from the from the top 10 and just start a very gradual but a very definite decline, not just injuries, but also age. And this could be a match where Jack resumes, you know, where he's, you know, getting back inside top 20 and and such as he as he's had potential do. The other side of that could also happen, right?

Jac Taylor could have a great match, springboard him to get back. This would be a good chance, probably his best chance of getting back to a quarter, possibly a semi. If he's serving well and playing some big ball. I don't put anything past quarters for him for me person with the draw because of Zvera being there. I see I see I round of 16 may be where that ends. But he's he's not gonna get younger. He's not gonna get in a sense healthier. And if he's had issues with the knee, you know how knees are that that can be that's a tough one to get around.

But I just feel like this match could have either a player kinda going the other direction. And I'm more worried for Taylor because it's another year before Wimby comes around and we're a year older, we're a year more dinged up. I don't know why he played the French, to be honest. I not maybe just to get matches in, but I felt like if he had just rehabbed a little more, I say rehabbed and just been that much stronger and really just locked in on the grass. He's got, you know, he's he's a little bit on Pete Samper's trek right now. You know you you know.

Why do I why why d why even go to Clay? You know what I mean? Why why I get that.

Alvin Owusu (34:54.637)
It's it's it's th it's free it's free money though. Like 'cause I okay, let's say he let's say he had skipped French open I mean yeah, skipped Rolling Garros. what does that change? I mean he did well in the next two gr grass court events, right? He's he did well, he finally won one of them. I think he finaled the other or semifinaled, like i

Torrey (35:06.288)
That totally. I'm right.

Hun hundred percent. it's it's n it's no reason not to play. I mean it's the French open. Why why why not go? I'm just saying. I feel like he needs to maximize the handful of years that the knee may have or knees have left in them, and I just feel like this is a good opportunity for him. And Jack, Jackson playing some great ball. I mean, Jack's good to see him back if he can stay healthy. I mean, you know, this is a it's just a tough match for both of them considering where they both are in their in their current

arcs, you of their of their career. And as I say, it it could be a heck of a that'll be a heck of a match to tune in for. And then again, this but out of this whole thing, I really just see, you know, I I really the Novak got a decent Novak. Sasha got a very solid pretty good draw for as packed as Wimbledon can be. I feel like a lot of the players in this half, he, you know, not not favors him, but

they don't pose as as much of a threat. And and including Jack or Taylor. So that

Alvin Owusu (36:10.189)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (36:13.601)
On the but even after that that Fritz Draver matchup, right, you've got if you look maybe two rounds ahead, g Gabe Diallo, a little streaky but but but showed like some real grass court aptitude last year. I think he went he went five with Fritz last year, here at Wimbledon and then and then Francis has been playing extremely well throughout the grass court season. He won a grass court event two weeks ago, looking good and I mean

Torrey (36:23.883)
A lot streaky.

Alvin Owusu (36:43.445)
he has pushed hell, lost the Carlos in five and had chances in that fifth set, I think maybe in the fourth set, two years ago. So I think the top half of this quarter, extremely strong. you hell, I could see I could actually see Francis coming out in the top half of this quarter to play Zverev in the for a chance to get into the semifinals. I I I that doesn't feel far fetched to me at all, actually. yeah.

Torrey (36:47.2)
Yep. Yep.

Torrey (37:04.598)
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, fair.

Alvin Owusu (37:10.463)
And yeah, again, just it's just pretty just a bad draw for both Fritz and Draper. Like you guys, you got a lot of but the thing is you have a lot of guys who are playing well right now on the surface in the same part of the draw. That's I mean, Francis won Grasscourt event. Yeah, Francis won a Grasscourt event two weeks ago. Taylor beat him in the finals of the very next event, and then you've got Draper going for trying to go for a a title this week right now, still in the semifinals of of Eastbourne. So that's yeah, that's

Torrey (37:14.316)
But tough tough draw. Yeah.

Torrey (37:22.572)
part of the draw. So they so they're gonna play each other. Right.

Alvin Owusu (37:40.216)
the the the most informed grass court players right now are all in the same spot of the draw. That makes for that makes for interesting interesting tournament. all right I think that's that's probably it's probably enough on the on the men's side. Let's let's meander over to the women's side and we're gonna we're gonna get there. We're gonna get there. Arena Sabalinka

Torrey (37:45.324)
Yeah.

Torrey (37:52.81)
Yep. Yep.

Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (38:10.713)
we used to I feel like we were in this space and earlier the week I had Anastasia from Grounds Pass on and we talked about this and you and I have talked about this and I think in our previous podcast, the the former or the the previous where we thought, you know, Arena Sablanka extremely dominant. Her dominance is more so looking like dominance in the aggregate. She hasn't had a a great run of form here since coming off of the hard courts.

How do we expect her to get on in the first week of this event?

Torrey (38:47.688)
I expect nothing less than her best. She rarely, rarely loses to people that she should beat. She I think has a chip on her shoulder to prove some of the naysayers. I am more bullish on her right now than I am on Elena Rabacina, who's won this event before. and and she's a and she's a d and she's a

Alvin Owusu (39:12.481)
Interesting.

Torrey (39:16.254)
In my opinion, Rebacum is a second or third best option to win the darn thing, not just off history but off of game style and size and serve and everything else on paper.

I actually like it when people are doubting/slash worried about Arena. I think she plays better. I think she needs a little bit of a something to prove. I think she just has that kind of level to her. Again, I'm talking completely just anecdotally. clearly her game's there and she and she and she moves well and plays well. I think last year was a bit of a was

Not a fluke in the sense that who beat Amanda, right? Did girl Anissa Mobile last year here? So a great match. So I maybe maybe just kinda thought Amanda might just kind of buckle under the pressure as she's done before. and obviously Manda didn't do that. And yet, unfortunately, Amanda buckled the next match against against Eagles. She she gets mistimed it. She she mistimed the buckle. right. But but with that being said, I

Alvin Owusu (39:56.697)
Yeah, great math.

Alvin Owusu (40:10.369)
Next match. Just pushed it out. Pressure pressure deferred. Buckle deferred. Buckle deferred.

Torrey (40:19.206)
She did reach the semi, right? So you gotta to me, the consistency is there. If her bad match was losing to her in three, if her bad match was losing to you know, Coco in the finals of France, if her, you and and again, we know she's does some some bad matches and so and so on. But her bad match her losses, not bad matches, her her losses tend to come in semis and in finals and occasionally, occasionally, you may maybe a blip somewhere else. But to me,

Alvin Owusu (40:38.413)
Not bad matches, losses.

Torrey (40:48.71)
You can't you cannot count the woman out. She's just played too much good tennis. She's gonna make you beat her. She's she has more than enough other ways to beat you. Returns, transition, obviously the serve, foreign, and backhand are all quite solid. She's the only thing she hasn't done yet is win one. I also think, Alvin, I'm gonna have to this, you mentioned this before.

She is in that window of where it's at that meniscus, so to speak, where she's starting potentially. I think that makes you focus a little bit more. And I think she knows I really need to win one of these, you know, before it's all said and done. I think this could be that year for her. I I feel like two or three of the others who are up there with her, who I was so high on, maybe Australia, I just haven't seen them have some of the staying power and

You know, and I just and I like her chances against them on grass. So that's why I feel like she's in a really good situation here. I think her consistency, which is the strength and the undertow, but at the same time, is gonna continue to carry her through and and to me she's still the favorite, you know, you you wouldn't you would bet against her.

Alvin Owusu (42:02.746)
Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna break this down into a few different pieces. And let's just go at this kind of like what match by match might look like. In the second round, if Olinankova can take out McCartney Kessler, so Olinukova is who beat Rebaccana in the French Open. She's tough. Like she she she she's tough. She's not gonna be overwhelmed by the moment, having just beat a Grand Slam.

Torrey (42:25.585)
Sure.

Alvin Owusu (42:28.267)
standing Grand Slam champion in the last Grand Slam, right? So that is that is one thing that like the number one seed and a Grand Slam champion, number one player in the world generally comes into these events, into these matches with is a little bit of, you'd think a little bit of a a long shadow that could that could maybe shake a player walking onto the court. Okay. That's that's gonna be kind of tossed out against likely Olenkova, right? I'm not saying she's going to beat her, but I'm saying she will not she won't scare

Torrey (42:43.386)
Yeah. Yeah.

Torrey (42:56.708)
She won't be able to walk over. But duly noted.

Alvin Owusu (42:57.751)
She won't be a walkover. She won't scare her. Honestly, I think she after that, it starts to get a little. Now it gets very situational, and she's gonna have to lock in from the third round on. Emiratanu, we've we've we've talked about Emma at length, but one thing I will say about Emrata Kano is that her best surface is actually grass. Right? Not only like she the things that she does not do well are mitigated because of the surface. And also grew up playing on it.

Torrey (43:15.706)
Hundred percent.

Alvin Owusu (43:26.305)
Right. And is seems to be playing well right now. She she finaled finaled an event two weeks ago. She's she's she's in a she's in a good vibe space. And they played last year and Emma played her tough. I think it was four and four, something like that. but obviously the crowd will be with her. After that, you get likely Naomi Osaka, right? Interesting about Naomi Osaka and Irina Sabalenka, they both won four grand slams and neither one of them have won an event on grass ever at any level, right?

Torrey (43:29.474)
Hundred percent. Back with her old coach. She's yeah, she's she's back. Yeah.

Torrey (43:40.26)
Yep. Yep.

Torrey (43:54.884)
Yep. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (43:57.656)
The shorter the shorter points I think start to I give Naomi a better chance than normal in in the even though she has played Arena tough this year. I think they've played twice. I believe Naomi might have won a set. Don't quote me on that one. I'm talking mostly you to you, the internet. Don't quote me on that one. I will go look at it up. You can tell me about it in the comments. I'm not your stat keeper. but

Torrey (44:19.402)
Mm.

Alvin Owusu (44:24.011)
But then you get down to the bottom half of that draw and you're looking at a or bottom half of the quarter and you're looking at a potential matchup between either a Mira Andreva, recent Grand Slam champion, or a Carolina Muhova or former Wimbledon champion Barbara Krajikova. Like that's where that's where I'm throwing up my yellow flag. I don't know if I don't know if Sabalinka comes out of this quarter. I actually I don't think I don't think she does.

Torrey (44:31.406)
Babs. Yep.

Torrey (44:40.097)
Yep. Yep.

Torrey (44:47.211)
Yep. And and and Queen Wynn. And and don't forget about Queen Wynn, who who's who's down there without

Alvin Owusu (44:51.053)
She's struggling right now. She she she Quinn Wynne has the talent, has a track record, but man, she is in a bad place right now. if if she doesn't start like popping some wins here, yes, it she she needs to she's in that like younger version of Grigory Dmitrov right now. Like got hurt, came back. You need to get back on that winning on that winning train before these these PRs run up because it yeah, it's coming.

Torrey (45:00.727)
Some some would say dangerous. Some would say dangerous. That's all I'm saying.

Torrey (45:12.855)
Sure. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (45:18.413)
But that's where I I I just have this feeling that that's a little any one of those four players I mentioned, Clay Grasscourt could could make a world of trouble for Arena Sablika, a world of trouble.

Torrey (45:32.673)
Duly noted.

Alvin Owusu (45:33.793)
Okay. Alright. I said it. I said what I said. I said what I said. I I I did say it with my chest. Arena Sabalanka's not coming out of this quarter. I said it with my chest. I said it. Alright, we'll keep moving. Alright. speaking of Arena Sablanka, Jess Pagula did just beat her six in the third last week. So here we are. We are in Miss Pagula's quarter. I didn't know that Coco had dropped this far down and okay. Whatever. It's all the same. Between

Torrey (45:35.639)
Fair with your chest.

Alright.

Torrey (45:54.625)
JPEG. Come on. Come on, JP. Come on.

Alvin Owusu (46:01.782)
honestly, in the top eight of the women's it's

Torrey (46:03.735)
It's it's like it's like Ben it's like the draw with four and seven in the other one. Novak seven did got a better draw than the four, just saying.

Alvin Owusu (46:12.713)
It's interesting little okay, let's let's let's kinda let's kinda go through this here. I wanna actually want to start with Coco's section. All things considered, I think Coco got a really good draw. Like B Belinda in the in the round of sixteen, that that's gonna be trouble. but if she gets there, then I'm feeling really good about how Coco's playing. it's not it's not a given. She lost in the first round last year, right? doesn't have a tur doesn't have a

Torrey (46:25.418)
I do too.

Alvin Owusu (46:40.631)
much of a track character to speak of on the surface. But as you and I have both called out, she's playing even though she's not winning events, we do see her playing good tennis. Tennis that is that will serve her well in the future.

Torrey (46:49.781)
Play movement.

Hundred percent.

Alvin Owusu (46:56.341)
Is that gonna come to fruition here?

Torrey (46:59.369)
Got a got a great draw to do it with, tell you that. Very good draw. Everybody that everybody that I'm seeing, I don't see anybody that can take the racket out of her hand, including, including Alexandrova or Potopova, or or Belinda, you know, or or Callin Sky. Not one of them of of of the fellow Blacking or JPEG has the ability to take a racket out of her hand. And having avoided all of them darn near, you know.

Alvin Owusu (47:01.539)
It's a good it's a good draw. It's a it's a good draw.

Torrey (47:28.047)
And and there's just a lot of players that that can that can set up points, create good points. A lot of a lot of depth in this one here, Alvin. I mean every from I mean, God, so many good so many good players in in this little section here that have that have done well some tournaments. But I just don't see a lot of them that have specific to grass, don't have great grass court game. The o the the one player I think who has who could develop into a pretty good grass quarter is that that just come obviously, you know, you Jessica's

played a lot on everything. She's a she's a tour vet. But the one player I would think that would do better on this service than most might be is is Ivo Yovic. The other person I think that would that would do a little better on this than most, of course, is you know, even a girl like Kocharetta, you know what I mean, who's who didn't she beat Coco here at this tournament a a year or two ago?

Alvin Owusu (48:04.11)
Mm-hmm.

Alvin Owusu (48:16.777)
She might have beaten no, I think she beat Jessica last year. Yeah, yeah.

Torrey (48:18.742)
no JPEG. She'd be JPEG, that's right. So that that's a that's that's that's another one to kinda watch out for just with her taking the ball so early and doing and doing a lot of things. So but with that said, I I I really like Coco's chances here. you know, and to be honest, I could I could see, I mean obviously a lot of players may stand in the way of that, but I could see a I could see a potential American round of sixteen here, you know what I mean, with this with the way this is going.

all all the way through. Even even Ann Lee's not is w would have a would have a a a decent chance. It could certainly three of the four I think could make that round of sixteen in this in this particular little section draw.

Alvin Owusu (48:59.545)
There are there are players here unseated who like let's let's even look at Diana Yastrzemska here. Yastrzemska beat Coco in the first round of this event last year. Pretty sure that was the case. you've got Tatiana Maria, who won Queens last year on on grass. Iva Yovic, I I I'm with you. I feel like she has like what she lacks in

Torrey (49:16.412)
Yep.

Alvin Owusu (49:25.599)
firepower off the surf, she makes up for in movement and the ability to absorb power and she also returns extreme yeah, she returns extremely well. So you take all that, you just kinda make sure she doesn't get either overpowered by someone like a I feel like a Rebaccana, someone that she would struggle with, like who could just surf through her and hit through her, like anyone else, or someone honestly like a Laura Siegmund or Tatiana Maria.

Torrey (49:30.459)
Right. Emmeres. Yeah. Turns very well. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (49:52.932)
Who will like kind of carve her up and and and per give her just like something she doesn't see often, which gets exasperated on the surface. So that those kind of things. and it's also I believe it's her first this is her first time through on grass. Like I was just thinking about this earlier today. Like when did she when did when did she pop? It was it was this year, Australian Open. So, yeah, I I don't I don't wanna put a lot of pressure on someone's first trip here.

Torrey (49:58.362)
Yep. Yep.

Torrey (50:19.054)
Yeah. And and she plays a lot like Jacqueline Christiana, doesn't she? She kinda they they they do favor a little bit, you know what I mean? I don't think I don't I don't think Christiana is is maybe quite moves as well, but she loves to absorb pace and bangs off the off the baseline and so that that's gonna be a it'll be a very good very good starting match. But I'm again I'm just saying you know, I I love Belinda Benchich and and the we've had we've had Excer on the open stance backhand. I mean we have we have studied her. We have

Alvin Owusu (50:26.113)
A little bit. A little bit.

Alvin Owusu (50:43.993)
The open stance walk through backhand, lefty forehand. I don't know what the hell that thing is. I still don't know.

Torrey (50:49.136)
Weed Tennis one one. That's what the Weed Tennis was built off of was Belinda's backhand. Anyway, but I just feel to your point I still feel good about seed four and seed seven's chances getting through to even up their seed. This is summer.

Alvin Owusu (51:06.531)
I so you're so you're you're you're if I were if I were pushing you to this, you're thinking Pagula versus golf in the in a four spot in the CMC.

Torrey (51:13.967)
And and I would and I would tell you that I could see a I would see a Pagula Jovich Benchich golf. Is would would to me just based on everything else that I've that I've seen, it's not to say that all four of couldn't, you know, couldn't run into a bus or it's it's grass, so anything could happen. But I just feel given given the skill set, given the ability their their experience on grass, given the weapons on paper, on paper, it seems like

the the s the seeding is is fairly true to form here and the ones that could stand in the way it would it would take a bad day, you know, and it would take a just a very just a a a great day from the opponent to to dispatch them earlier than the seed pre than the seed of projection, in in my humble opinion.

Alvin Owusu (52:04.184)
I'm gonna spice this up a little bit. Not spice so much. I feel like if Belinda is playing against Coco in the round of sixteen here, I feel like that's I feel like that's Belinda's match actually to lose. I she's just so like it we don't have to go far back. Last year US Open, you saw what Naomi did to her, you saw what Paola did to her. maybe that was the Australian Open. Paola's done it to her twice, right?

I I Belinda is like squarely in that same mold of like experienced player who like will go through the Rolodex, pull out the game plan and just like implement to the T.

Torrey (52:35.886)
Right. Right. Belinda, Paula, you know, who Svitolina, they're they all come from that from that block of Exactly, exactly.

Alvin Owusu (52:46.337)
Yeah. Yeah. The the I know what I'm doing in camp. so that's I that's where I feel like I feel like Belinda I feel like Belinda coming out of the bottom half here. I if I were taking a flyer on the top, it's actually Anastasia Potopova. sh she's she's not just playing some ball, I feel like she's hit a new level in her like in her career. Like I think she's actually starting to hit work towards her peak here. Yeah.

Torrey (53:02.131)
Yeah, she's playing some ball right now.

Torrey (53:07.179)
She has. She has. And and the French really s solidified that. Been working with Dinara Safina, if I'm not mistaken, for the for the last several I think since the start of this year and really doing some great things. And you know, Denar was was you know, was did not did did Denar win one? I thought she won at least one.

Alvin Owusu (53:14.158)
A

Alvin Owusu (53:25.721)
that sounds right.

Torrey (53:27.135)
If not if not got to multiple got to multiple finals during that couple of years stint when she got to high and got to top in the world. But to my point, every every bit as good as any of the of the Russians that you know that back when she was playing. I mean, she was, you know, maybe not quite as charismatic and as fun to watch as her brother, but she was certainly every bit as good, you know, as far as quality of wins for that length of time. She was a so to have her as your coach, I

That's a that's a huge thing. Who who we got? It's it's

Alvin Owusu (53:58.554)
I feel like Safina I feel like I feel like Zenora was she w if I go back to our we did a special of her on the top twenty five women on the last twenty five years. I think Safina was like one of those got to one of the world but didn't win a slam. I think she like foundled like two or three slams or something.

Torrey (54:11.614)
But did but didn't win one. Right. Yeah, but I said I I thought for sure she I thought maybe she she was in that category. If she did win one, you know, she may she may have won one or got to three of I I thought it was more finals than that. But to your point. Kurt Bolznacki was in that same category for a while. Who who you got here? the cause this this this one here to me was the was the toughest section in in the draw in when I looked at it.

Alvin Owusu (54:30.891)
Okay, this is this is fun.

Alvin Owusu (54:37.943)
Let's just let's just let's just go ahead and get this out of the way first and foremost. Serena Williams, Maya joint in the first round, potentially Alexandria Yala in the third second round, and then potentially I'm gonna get to that, Iga in the third round. I hope Serena Hand writes her own thank you letters because that's a fantastic draw. That's a fantastic draw. that's how you write it up.

Torrey (54:53.669)
Eager. Yeah.

Torrey (55:01.169)
Yep.

Alvin Owusu (55:05.789)
I'm not gonna call myself a prognosticator, but I did I did when we were talking, I was talking to Anastasia in our last podcast about what would be a good first-round matchup for Serena Williams, and I did specifically name my adjoint. I think I'll put that I think I'll put that clip in right now. Okay, and then it happened. So it happened and

And I also might have said something about Alexandria Ayala at some point in time. If if that happens, then I'm gonna put that clip in right here. And then we'll we'll see. We'll see, right? So actually we won't because this is the draw show and that'll happen in the future. but anyways, Serena, by all accounts, looks great in practice. We've also seen what she's done in doubles. That's always a few weeks ago at this point. go ahead, bring it. Bring it. I don't

Torrey (55:40.381)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (56:01.592)
I mean, hell, Taylor Tallinson could beat Egan the first round of this. And then you've got Plitzkova in the second round. Like Serena Williams versus Carolina Plitzova, the third round of twenty twenty six Wimbledon. Why not? Why not, TH?

Torrey (56:03.911)
That's what I was gonna say. Be careful now because

Torrey (56:16.461)
It's that the lower half of that draw certainly has a lot of drama and a lot there'll be a lot of eyes on that match. My eyes are going a little bit on the north on the north side of this, because I feel like the the north side is who's gonna come out of this draw. Alina Svitolina's been playing some great tennis all year. She's the person to beat, even over ego, in my opinion, despite the three and the eight seed. Donna Becky's playing some great tennis. I mean

Alvin Owusu (56:44.259)
She's been playing great tennis.

Torrey (56:46.565)
really good ball. Emma Navarro has been b playing some good ball recently right. and and you know it's and and Marta Costic, you know, literally had almost owned almost owned the clay court season. So you know and and and we can't write off, you know, we can't form a top five last year, Jasmine Paolini on the on the you know, as on the top half of that the top of the bottom half of this section. So I personally feel, you know, that

Alvin Owusu (56:50.625)
Also been playing great tennis.

Alvin Owusu (56:56.761)
God that's tough.

Torrey (57:15.675)
Between those three people, by that I'm talking Alina, obviously Donna, and then Marta, I just feel like the three of those will again, and and that all respect to the queen herself, all respect to Iga, r defending champ, I might add. We just I just feel as of right now, the top half have to be playing a little better tennis right now than the than the lower half. A yala's play had some had some good tennis, played some good ball.

had a couple good wins recently. I just I just feel like the top is playing a little better right now. That's and that's all I'm gonna say.

Alvin Owusu (57:54.104)
It's I mean, there are so many as you go through this, I mean, even someone like Ashlyn Krueger, who I I was I've formerly been high on and, you know, just maybe her best tennis is in front of her, I hope. But she did qualify. Winning three matches on the surface to get into the tournament is is a really good sign for a former top fifty player. and then coming up against Donovekic who did have a I mean, she she lucky losered into is it into Queens?

Torrey (58:12.132)
Yeah. Sure.

Alvin Owusu (58:24.097)
And then wanted? Is that what so is that Yeah, so yeah, I think she got to I think she I think she beat Radakanu in the final of Queens Club. Is that right? Anyway, so yeah we'll get there. But and then also Emma Navarro against Paolo Badossa in the first round. Like pff you got pedigree versus pedigree. Emma is playing like Emma's Emma is playing better tennis than

Torrey (58:25.908)
And then and and then won it. Yeah. Won it or got to the final. Yeah.

Torrey (58:36.642)
Yeah, that that sounds well.

Alvin Owusu (58:52.473)
prior to her break. Like she's hitting the piss out of the ball. And I and and has always done well on grass. She she she dismantled Coco on the in in this tournament two years ago. so yeah the top half of this quarter is tricky. Super, super tricky. And I I I mean don't even sleep on qualifier Robin Montgomery. Again, she qualified and

Torrey (58:54.232)
Hundred percent. Hundred percent.

Torrey (59:06.168)
Yep. Yep.

Torrey (59:11.768)
Rough, rough, to say to say the least, rough.

Alvin Owusu (59:21.879)
She also won a grass court event two weeks ago. So it I Jasmine, yep, Wumbleman finalists prior, got it. I'm putting that one's on I'm putting Jasmine on watch. I'm putting Jasmine on watch. do you?

Torrey (59:38.658)
Just saying, just saying there's lot of and we haven't even mentioned the rest of the black ink. I'm just telling you, there's it's just as far as the bold ink. Anyway, I'm just telling this this section, this third, whatever this is, quarter is absolutely ridonculous. I mean, it just, you know, you you would this this would be a tough 500, you know, right here. I mean, just just this draw.

This is right here. You if you saw this alone, you're like, ooh, it's a tough turn right here. I mean, and let alone it being a a quarter of the of the whole thing. So looking forward to each each and every one of them.

Alvin Owusu (01:00:14.595)
Do you what do you if I had to if I have to press you here, what do you now that you've seen the draw and you see what Serena has in front of her, how well is she gonna do in this event?

Torrey (01:00:20.748)
Mm-hmm.

Torrey (01:00:27.87)
All respect to the queen. The queen, if she's playing well, the queen could take a could take it match by match. Depend to me, it's it's a it's a it's a unfortunate scale of her body holding up and and and and and staying true to form where her experience and and match savvy, they will start to kinda come to a and negate one of the other.

As she gets in the throes of it, everything starts to come back, right? As she gets in the throes of it, the body starts to let her remind her she's 44. Do I think she could come out of the gate and disturb my joint? Yes, I do. Do I think do I think she could come out of that next match and give, let's just say, who's we say? Plus gives-oh, she played Ayala and Zarzua.

Alvin Owusu (01:01:05.593)
Right, right. Right.

Alvin Owusu (01:01:15.897)
Poor Maya, poor Maya.

Alvin Owusu (01:01:24.237)
N yeah Zarsha

Torrey (01:01:26.058)
Do I think she could have her way with Miss Ayala? I do. Do I think it'd be a great opportunity for Alex? I do. But do I think that the that the queen may just have a little more in the tank? I I do. and and she can't take the rack out of Serena's hand. Like Serena can take the rack out of her hand. short points, it's grass. She Serena's had the best serve. The women's game. Forget past, current, or in period. So she

can still take the racket out of Alex's hand and of course she will expose that, you know, some of the mobility and and at that point, again, now we get into the now you start getting into some things. I don't think that Iga would have the same issues that other players would have. And at that point, but I think it'd be a very entertaining kind of a match to me. The tournament's lucky to have her. It's all I can say.

Alvin Owusu (01:02:15.009)
You think you think is do you think Taylor Townsend's got a pretty good shot here against Ego? Like are we gonna are we gonna just gloss over this? Are we gonna are we gonna not?

Torrey (01:02:21.872)
No, I I t I you know how big I was on Taylor and her and her singles, you know, run last year, Alvin. You know, you pointed it out to me, you know, but she was still blah, blah, blah, outside the top hundred. And and you made a lot of sense. Do I think first round on the grass, grass is still slick. She comes in a lot. We know that anybody else who didn't have phenomenal passes and phenomenal returns and and just

If it was my girl, your favorite Astapenko, I'd be like, dude, I'm putting your girl Astapenko on watch. But this is Igas Fiontek we're talking about. Defending Champ, best returns in the game, playing some ball, hungry to kind of prove she's, you know, that that she not not doing well in the French is you know, she's kind of pissed about not doing well in the French. She's coming back to this tournament here with with with being defending champ. I don't know. I just

It's i i I can see some fireworks, some great points. I just don't know if Taylor has we talked about taking the rack out of someone's hand. The matchup is just too, it's just too it is the true rock, paper, scissor of things. I mean, and it's just Taylor's Taylor's transition and Ega's defense of said transition and returns are just man, it's it's gonna be what else can they do? And so that now means can Ega serve?

And can Taylor return? And that's where I say the edge goes to Ega. Long points, ega. transition for forward versus versus Taylor's passes. I give the slight edge to Ega. Longer match, ego. You know what I'm saying? shorter points. Well, who's gonna who's gonna hurt who more? It's gonna be Ega hurting her more on the short points with the return. So I just it there's just not enough columns that I would have that I could.

give Taylor the edge in for this match to be to to swing in her favor. Do I think it'll be a fun match to watch? I do.

Alvin Owusu (01:04:26.423)
be fun. Yeah, it's it's the it comes out for me it comes down to the returns. like this Taylor Taylor serves a little bit better than Iga. Iga returns heaps and mounds better than Taylor. And that so that that ends up being like a like a three and four maybe four and four kind of match. Like that's that's kinda how that nets out. maybe two breaks to serve in the first set, two to one and then like two to one in the second.

Torrey (01:04:36.11)
Agreed.

Torrey (01:04:40.741)
Exponential. I would I would say the same.

Torrey (01:04:52.741)
Right. It'll definit it'll definitely be on break, won't it? It'll it'll be on break.

Alvin Owusu (01:04:57.409)
And though there there will be some like a it feels like, yeah, like like Eagle will break her twice in the first set and then Taylor might save one of and then

Torrey (01:05:07.811)
it'll be two if not three breaks in the in the side. That that's that's how I looked at it too. And and and I could still see it being a seven five six three. You know what I mean? You know, a hundred percent. It was it will not be a walkov by any means. And and Taylor and hats off to her to make this main draw, you know, happy four.

Alvin Owusu (01:05:09.428)
Right, yeah. Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (01:05:14.711)
Yeah, same same. It yeah, just w when it happens.

Alvin Owusu (01:05:24.899)
Alright, bringing up the back end here. We've got former Wimbledon champ, Elena Rabacina at the bottom, last year's finalist, Amanda Anna Samova on the top, sprinkling some Madison Keys, and a little bit of Dina Schneider, even a little bit of you know, Lisa Mertens and Laura Sigmund for good measure. This is fun. Like this is this is fun.

Torrey (01:05:36.538)
Yep.

Torrey (01:05:42.329)
Yeah.

Torrey (01:05:46.159)
Yep.

I mean you've got some you've got some there's some there's some there's some meat in in in the whole thing, but down here I felt like it was, you know, pretty a little more evenly a little more evenly you know I'm gonna say evenly spread out a little bit. the two or three people that I look at when I s when I see this thing right off rip.

that we have to keep our eye on is Talia Gibson, I think, is has a very good grass court kind of game that could do some things. I'm I'm also looking at as as far as players that that you just don't always, you know. Katie Bolter, of course, you know, no stranger to the grass herself. and you know, you gotta you gotta put it gotta give it up Katie McNallow, you know, who also has some great returns and and and plays.

Transitions game pretty well herself and has a nice surf. So I had to call out those three non non-bolded names. I I'll be honest, Alvin. I think personally Maddie Keys has been playing some real good ball coming in. He's playing some good ball, Alvin. She is going into the break. I know it. I know it. But just saying she has been, and I know you don't, and and I'm gonna tell you who I'm the bold print that I've been most worried about is Alana Rabacina.

Alvin Owusu (01:06:54.329)
Don't say it, nope, don't say it, don't say it, don't say it. We ignore we ignore Laddison Keys, we ignore her until God bless.

Torrey (01:07:11.085)
I mean now she could turn it on within within a s it's a switch for her, you know, but mentally she has not has not been the the the she has not been the Atlanta Robacker that won the WTA final and Australia and looked like she was gonna have the tour on lockdown for the year. She's not been that player, arguably for the last four to six weeks. And to me that's that's concerning.

You'd never count her out. Not only that she won this tournament, she won the tournament two or three years ago, and she's been playing better since. So you know, you know you can't count her out. But I just I'm just a little concerned that we're not mm that we're that I haven't seen her play this well as of late in twenty and the tournament that I feel really, really just matched up her game very, very well. I mean, she's tall, she's long, she hits a great ball on return and serve.

She can outstrike the best in the tournament. She can outreturn the best serves in the tournament. She just, she's always on balance. She gets, she doesn't play a high risk game, even though her ball is huge. You just hate to, you know, you there's just a lot she does. And unfortunately, she's just not been very, I don't know, seemingly mentally locked in as she as you'd like to see going in. Otherwise, she'd be the she'd be the hands-down favorite.

Alvin Owusu (01:08:28.729)
Yeah, she has had a a a spotty the spotty last few tournaments actually, like

Torrey (01:08:34.312)
Yeah. L like like in some bad going away thirds. Like like she you know, like and and that's and that just that that's just that's like white flag to me. That's just red flag for me, white flag for her. You know, she just doesn't look like she's in the right space. Who knows?

Alvin Owusu (01:08:49.347)
Yeah, and I I wanna go I should go back. I I just realized that I made a mistake from a prior statement I made. I said that Oliankova, this is earlier, beat Rabakina at the French open. It was not Olyankova, it was Strub Strub Strub Starbdutzva. Starbdutsuva. Not Oliankova. Sorry. So that take everything that I said about that previous section and throw it out. Cause it 'cause it does not match it does it's not right. It is not right. I had the wrong player.

Torrey (01:09:03.616)
Subscribing. Yeah. Yeah.

Torrey (01:09:12.96)
Forget everything I said to this point right now.

Alvin Owusu (01:09:19.422)
which makes things very different. I think that was in

Sabalinka's section? Yeah. So yeah, so Sabalinka wins the tournament. Just take everything I said and throw it away. but Rebecca and I, yeah, she's she's her last few events have had the similar cadence of when she was struggling last year with specifically around like the the sleeping stuff. She was having issues with her with managing her energy. And it's like tough match and then like maybe one or two good matches and then drop off. she's she hasn't been able to string together, you know.

four matches in a tournament since Rome, right? Like she two and out in Roland Garris, two and out in Queens, one and out in Berlin. that's not what you wanna see for a number two seed coming into an event. and then w couple that with, you know, she's gonna have a probably a probably a funky match with Boisson. I assume she gets through that one. It's the Katie McNally matchup that would

Torrey (01:10:10.365)
No.

Torrey (01:10:21.651)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (01:10:21.837)
give me the the reason to think we might ha we might see that one and out or two matches in and out again because I'm very high on Katie to your point about the the players not seated in this section. She's one of the ones that I'm that I'm extremely high on. Talia Gibson is another one. Tyra Grant, young Italian American, I think she's a American father, Italian Italian mother, plays under the It Italian flag.

Torrey (01:10:27.356)
Right.

Torrey (01:10:33.0)
Right, right.

Torrey (01:10:44.339)
Yep.

Alvin Owusu (01:10:51.095)
just either final or wanted event leading up to this. quality in here. So like if she you know, if she gets by Katie and and starts to feel good on the surf like not just on the surface, but in the place, like actually converting it at the All England Club, that is someone who is like just by it chomping at the bit to make a mark for herself. And this is like the biggest stage in our sport to do it.

Torrey (01:10:54.332)
Yep. And and and and call it in here.

Torrey (01:11:09.566)
Right.

Torrey (01:11:16.594)
Sure.

Alvin Owusu (01:11:20.699)
the Avalis Dina Schneider, that's an itch that's that'll be a fun first round matchup. there's just a there's a like Kudortova against against Simsanova. Like that's another f this is like there's some this like if I had a grounds pass. If I had a grounds pass like in this this is where this is where I like if they put these sections like in the same few courts, like this is where I would be. This is this is fun. This is really, really fun.

Torrey (01:11:26.438)
Yeah.

Torrey (01:11:29.798)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. A lot of real good Yeah. You'll be you'll be watching those matches.

Torrey (01:11:41.842)
Hundred percent. Hundred percent. And and you can't and you can't knock the one I forgot to mention was obviously Laura Sigmund and Elise Martins. I that's a that's that is you know that that's a magic I gotta think Laura's just out of being seated, you know what I mean? So, you know, I don't Right. So I I haven't to my point I think that's a that's a there's a lot of lot of good matchups in this one. Again, do I see a lot of them taking the racket out of the hand of Rebecca and running some of it? No.

Alvin Owusu (01:11:56.387)
She did well last year, right, didn't she? Was it two quarterfinals last year, semifinals last year? Two two years ago?

Torrey (01:12:11.718)
But man, but you look further down, buddy, you look further down and you start seeing, you know, what what sh what Schneider can do as well as the Maddie Keys and then some over matchup. I won't talk about it because I know I don't want to change your girl, but I'm just I'm just telling you, it could be some really that could that could this could be an interesting, this could be a very interesting and then how they play into the third quarter, right? Could be a very interesting set of circumstances.

Alvin Owusu (01:12:36.803)
I'm a this is this is as far out on a limb as I would normally go. I'm gonna I'm gonna go I'm gonna go I'm gonna go Linda Noskova coming out of the top.

Torrey (01:12:41.988)
Say something. Don't do it. Don't do it.

J just so just so you can v vote against it. my god. I love it. I absolutely love it. Keep convincing yourself.

Alvin Owusu (01:12:51.673)
We're supposed to be friends, Tori. We're supposed to friends. We're supposed to be friends. Linda's playing fantastic tennis. Linda, in our in our in our in our 2026 season preview, I I specifically called her out as you look at someone who's under the age of 21, who's continually halved her ranking every single year on tour, has beaten Grand Slam champions in Grand Slams before. She just won a grass court event. She is top 10 in the world. This is not me splitting hairs. This is

Torrey (01:13:08.383)
Torrey (01:13:16.771)
Yes.

Alvin Owusu (01:13:21.421)
This is real. This is real. And also shade. I'm also fading my my own personal interests. and so I'm I'm taking Noskova on the top half top half of this quarter, and then I also feel

Torrey (01:13:22.765)
You are speaking facts. Facts. Facts. It just conveniently helps fit your narrative.

Alvin Owusu (01:13:43.257)
Katie Katie Katie McNally out of the bottom?

Torrey (01:13:47.055)
Oof. That's a lot. That's a lot of that's a lot of wishful thinking. I'm with ya. I'm not sure.

Alvin Owusu (01:13:53.035)
Is it is it wishful? Is it wishful? She's the only person who took a set off Eagle last year in this tournament.

Torrey (01:14:01.647)
I love Katie McNally. We're not talking about that. If it were any anybody else but Alana Rabacina, I would I would be with you. I could see a three-set match. I don't know if I could see her beating again, which Alana Rubakina shows up, right? Do I do I could I see Katie beating Elise Merton's on the grass? I can't. It could I see her, but I could see her being in just as tough a matchup with Tally Gibson. I mean, me personally, and that and now and now all bets are off. Tally, Tally's good on the grass, man. And and and as is Katie. I

Alvin Owusu (01:14:07.927)
Just I don't

Torrey (01:14:30.85)
Both of those two have a real good shot to play spoiler. and again, and then you still gotta deal with with Schneider Schneider and and the rest of the top half. So again, th this is there's a lot of sneaky undertoe in this one. It looks calm, it looks more straightforward if you look at the numbers, but buddy, there's a whole lot of there's a whole lot of undertow and rip currents on this one here. I mean that it's you wouldn't you you wouldn't go to Vegas on the you wouldn't be you wouldn't want to be going to Vegas, I should say, with

Alvin Owusu (01:14:51.085)
Yeah. Yeah.

Torrey (01:14:58.803)
with the odds on this one here because you'd you'd bet the under half the time and and and and make some money.

Alvin Owusu (01:15:04.801)
I I just I I'll I all I could say this like I don't feel confident that we're gonna get two six here. Like that that that that's what I don't see. That that doesn't feel right. That's like I I I I'm gonna put more value in I'd be shocked.

Torrey (01:15:11.273)
No, hundred percent. Hundred percent. Right. No. And and if it does, it it's coming through bloodied and tattered. I mean, it's coming it's coming through, you know, there's gonna be some near there's gonna be some near death experiences, so to speak. I mean, in this one here for s for sure. You know.

Alvin Owusu (01:15:28.299)
If we get Rebecca versus Anna Simova in this in this quarter, then both players are playing extremely well and that's gonna be a fantastic match. It's gonna be a fantastic match. but I I I I I tend to favor, you know, recent form over over the name and the number. And I'm there's nothing that Amanda nor Rebecca have done in the last six weeks that make me go, yeah, they're coming in coming in sharp. Whereas, you know, Linda just won an event.

Torrey (01:15:35.349)
And then I'd be a fantastic choice on a percent.

Torrey (01:15:42.445)
Right. Okay. Right.

Torrey (01:15:51.677)
Right. Right.

Alvin Owusu (01:15:58.132)
And i and maybe I'm make maybe I'm reaching a bit here on on Katie, but I I'm I I feel like Katie McNally has top twenty five potential and it's just a matter of now that she's healthy, like she's gotta she's gotta pop through at one of these. Like she you just kinda have to. and I think her best chance is either here or like the US Open and while they were back in a matchup, I mean, you know, Gabriela Russe is no no no rollover by any means, but if we were to

Torrey (01:16:13.322)
Yeah. Yep.

Alvin Owusu (01:16:27.853)
get a Rebecca versus McNally matchup in the second round. I I I feel like that's takeable for Katie on this surface at this exactly. Exactly.

Torrey (01:16:34.923)
Yeah. Right. Given given where Rebecca is. I I agree with you a hundred percent. Better and that's the best time, if not first round, that's the best round to get her. You get her you get her four rounds in, I don't see the same thing. You you get her right. You the you the the earlier the better.

Alvin Owusu (01:16:44.021)
Right. Right.

Yeah, no, no, no.

Right. Exactly. Exactly. well good. Well, TH, we just we just did a draw show. We did it we did a good one. We did a good job. Good job on us. Order of Play will come out probably today is Friday. Order of play will probably come out on Saturday, I think. And we'll find out how this how this all shakes out. But I'm really excited for both events actually. Like there are some really interesting early early matchups. I think Fourth of July weekend will be fun for us.

Torrey (01:16:58.559)
Yeah.

Alvin Owusu (01:17:22.263)
We might go we might go live. I last year we watched some of these matches together. A couple of a couple of different a couple of different matches here and I I hope we can do the same this year. but it's gonna be it's gonna be a fun it's gonna be a fun one.

Torrey (01:17:26.655)
Yeah.

Torrey (01:17:34.169)
I'm I'm looking forward to it. Again, I you wonder where they put the other I think it was nine men and six women, if I'm not mistaken, that that didn't make the the draw with the with the with with the injuries and withdrawals. You know, again, again, you know, it you you the the tennis, as you've often said, and it just keeps moving. You know, I mean there's there's another there's another six take their spot. Those players are sorely missed, but at the same time.

You know, it's it's good to have it's good to have these a moment for these others, you know, to to shoot through. So I I'm with you. I'm looking forward to this tournament.

Alvin Owusu (01:18:11.16)
And hey, it's the year twenty twenty six Serena Williams is playing in Wimbledon. Hmm. There you go. There you go. Yeah, exactly. Let's let's let's put a pen in it. I'm Alvin. That's Tori. That's the three. We're out.

Torrey (01:18:18.716)
Mike mic drop, mic drop, like like her commercial.

Peace.